A Greenford man is among those accused of luring a 16-year-old virgin to the UK from Slovakia and selling her as a sex slave.

Albanian Valmir Gjetja, 29, of Avon Road, denies controlling prostitution for gain, three counts of unlawful wounding, actual bodily harm and possession of a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence.

The 16-year-old alleged victim left her family with the promise of a legitimate job in a pub, jurors at Southwark Crown Court were told on Monday.

But she was forced to work in brothels in Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire and Middlesex for 16 months, it is claimed.

She was passed from one crime gang to another and was raped, beaten and forced to take drugs at knifepoint.

Gjetja is one of a group of alleged tormentors facing charges relating to child prostitution, keeping a brothel and unlawful wounding.

The Slovakian teenager endured an horrific ordeal being passed from owner to owner, the court heard.

She worked in a sauna for three months and was "grabbed and drugged" by Gjetja, who she knew as Mario, jurors heard.

Prosecutor Jason Dunn-Shaw said not only did he force her to work as a prostitute but repeatedly beat her, wounded her with a knife and bottle and finally held a gun to her head.

He said: "She described Mario as a violent man who would fly into rages. He would beat her regularly with his belt, his first and other weapons that came to hand."

The terrified teenager finally managed to escape but on January 11 this year Gjetja tracked her down and attacked her, said the prosecutor.

She managed to dial 999 and was set free. Also in the dock were five other defendants. Two of the men are facing charges in relation to a 22-year-old Lithuanian woman who was made to work at their brothel in Clapton, east London.

Mr Dunn-Shaw said the 22-year-old, who escaped from her life as a prostitute on April 24, 2005, came to England on the promise of a job in a warehouse. But on landing she was quickly told she was to be sold to a gang of Albanians.

Mr Dunn-Shaw said: "She was told that they knew she had a child in Lithuania and that if she refused to co-operate she would never see her daughter again."

The young mother was forced to have sex with three men on her first night.

She eventually managed to escape and seek refuge at Ealing Police Station in the early hours of April 24.